


The Laboratory

by Chelsea_E (CheyanneChika)



Category: Original Work, The Penal Colony - Franz Kafka
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Aliens, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Parody, School Project
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-06 01:58:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8730223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheyanneChika/pseuds/Chelsea_E
Summary: A parody of "The Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka.  In this case, it's aliens instead of humans.





	

“As you can see,” began the Keirflin scientist.  “The machine is in wonderful condition despite not having the best of materials anymore.  He spoke in a slightly screechy voice as air rushed though his mouth which would produce only whistles but for the rows of long gummy blue strands of flesh inside his mouth that moved in order to form words in halting Delormitian as he addressed the Delormit visitor who had arrived on Keirflina with the other Delormit dignitaries for a peace talk.  Having recently obtained a means of local space travel, the Delormits were eager to discuss potential trade with the only other organic planet in their star system.  Keiflina was suffering from several centuries of drought, living closer to the star than Delorma, so they desired water above anything else.  Evolution showed that the Keirflins once had skin beneath their heavy, solid blue carapaces to cover their eight arms/legs but now they were nothing but bone filed to points that were so sharp they could pierce the thick hides of any less intelligent creature on the planet. The Delorma had originally been nervous of such creatures with their weaponry filled bodies but they were not a vicious people.  In fact, they lived more for scientific advancement than anything else.  Water, however, was very expensive to convert and use much energy.  Trading was easier and cheaper.

The Delormit cast his four bright red eyes over the machine.  “It is very impressive.”  He checked the snorting of his breath as it escaped from his long grey muzzle as it was actually echoing around the room, silent but for the occasional beep from one of the other machines in the laboratory.  He spoke with perfect Delomitian as the long mouth with its two rows of wide, flat teeth that did not fill his mouth made it impossible to speak Keirflin.  Strictly speaking, the Keirflin could not speak Delormitian but they could at least approximate it.

“Yes, yes it is,” the Keirflin went on.  “It’s a pity our usage has been so limited with the election of the new chief scientist.  Still, there is a new experiment to be conducted today so you will at least be able to see it for yourself before you pass judgment.”  Before the Delomit could say anything on the subject of judgment, the Keirflin continued, whistling, “Now this beauty is entirely self contained if you can believe it.  The energy that powers the machine is derived from the test subject who responds to the machine and creates more energy.”

“How does it start before the test subject is connected?” the Delormit asked.

“Oh, the initial submersion causes quite a bit of energy to be expelled, giving the machine enough power to turn on and activate the wires and breathing machine if necessary.  From there, the energy is drawn directly from the test subject.”

“I see.” The Delormit blinked his top two eyes, closer to the ears that swiveled on the top of his head, in assent.  “And what is the experiment?”

The Keirflin actually turned its orange, many faceted eye in the Delormit’s direction, he had one on either side of his head, to examine his face.  “You were sent here to observe our highest potential experiment and no one told you what it was?”  He was so surprised that he actually asked in Keirflin and had to repeat himself in Delormitian.

The Delormit blinked the lower set of red eyes in dissent.

The Keirflin began to mutter darkly in Keirflin.  He let out a shrill whistle and then continued in Delormitian, “Well, perhaps it will be better to explain with the test subject present.”  He let out another sheer whistle which was apparently an order of some kind because there was a whooshing sound.  The Delormit spun, startled, his long claws scratching the floor, as he faced the teleport pad.  Another Keirflin scientist stood there with a brown skinned biped with significant amounts of fur only in patches over a body the Delormit guessed was responsible for creating offspring but not carrying it.  The creature stepped off the pad, looking around almost contemplatively. 

The Delormit sniffed the cool air.  He could smell no fear on the alien, only mild curiosity.  “Is it aware it is about to be a test subject?”

“No,” the Keirflin replied shortly.

“Why not?”

“It does not speak Keirflin nor any other language we can approximate.  Besides, if it did know, it might struggle.”  The Delormit huffed, a sound that echoed, and blinked his two left eyes in distaste but said nothing and the Keirflin was ignorant of Delormitian eye gestures beyond yes and no so he remained unaware of the Delormitian’s view.  “Now, not to get distracted by the test subject, the machine!  Its official title is Forcefully Evoked Affectation and Reaction.  For short, the FEAR Machine.”

A blink of the top two eyes was all the Keirflin needed to go on.  “It is made up of the Submersion tank,” he pointed at a cylinder filled with a translucent grey fluid that bubbled slightly, “the sensors and re-breather,” cords and something that the Delormit thought must cover the test subject’s mouth to allow it to breathe whatever concoction of particles it needed to sustain its organic life, “and the neural interpretive computers.”  This was a set of two machines, one on either side of the submersion tank.  These machines looked exactly the same with a neat row of lights that ran parallel to a row of red buttons that stood out against the silvery skin of the machine.  None of the lights were lit now but the Delomit assumed they would once power was generated.  “Now, I took part in the creation of this machine.  The re-breather was actually my idea.  The first few subjects suffocated before we could get enough information.  Still, the old chief scientist is the mastermind.  He created the entire thing and has gleaned much information about not just our own species but others like that one there.”  They both looked at the biped as it continued to observe the room.  The scientist who had brought it did not seem worried about the brown creature that meandered about.  It seemed to be busy running atmosphere through its rows of gummy strands.  It was cleaning them, the Delormit noted absently before turning back to the FEAR Machine.


End file.
